Mathsmovies and Podcasts With the arrival now of the iTouch, smartphones, MP4 players of all brands etc. into pupils personal property, the opportunities for students to convert previous "down time" e.g. journey to school in the bus/train/car/bike/walk, waiting at the doctors, in the supermarket queue etc. etc. are significant. All these videos below have been selected to be entertaining and/or at least visually useful, as well as orally, in describing the concepts they set out to. They can all be converted into a format suitable for placing onto an iTouch/iPod/MP4/MP3 all brands by copying the URL from which ever site you are viewing them and pasting this into www.onlinevideoconverter.com or simply typing in www.kickyoutube.com, which is just like the usual "youtube" site but has the additional functionality of being able to download the videos directly [click on the file type: MP4, MP3, FLV etc. at the top of the page that you want to convert the youtue FLV file into, then click on the green GO, top right of the site, it will then turn into a blue DOWN which you right click on and choose "save target as" to save onto your computer]. For online video converter follow the three steps to download: Paste, Choose Format, Wait then Download. Below is a list of Videos categorised under the four general headings: Number, Algebra, Geometry and Statistics. Please do email us (dezottisoliver@hotmail.com) any movies you find so that we can add them to this list for everyone's use and to save us all time searching! At the end of this page we have embedded a few videos that we think exemplify different "styles" of video.
NUMBER
Compound interest. Great example of it's power (provided bank doesn't go bankrupt!).
Prime numbers can often seem a totally pointless and abstract use (waste?) of time to some students. Here's DeSautoy (only need to show first 2m30) putting them into context and application to show how a once "pure" area of maths now has far reaching applications
Proportions: students struggle to understand that ratio, fractions, decimals, percentages are conceputally all about giving a measure to different proportions. Here's a nice little drawing starter to play and students have to draw at the same time as the video. Look around at your classmates, every face has a different proportion! Drawing Proportions
FRACTIONS
Finding Fractions of amounts. I couldn't find a video that gave a clear enough visual and numerical explanation for this so I made this one. Hope it's useful and all feedback welcome please (dezottisoliver@hotmail.com)
A song to remind how you to divide fractions, no video required, thanks to Gracious Njomo!
Multiplying by mixed numbers: again, I couldn't find a visual and numerical explanation of why it works in the one video so I made this video. Hope you like it, and again, all feedback welcome (dezottisoliver@hotmail.com)
A clear numerical explanation for how to add and subtract fractions, [I don't like this method because I think it really necessitates that students are happy with multiplying fractions (x2/2) to be able to add & subtract, the method is not based on students innate knowledge or intuition], but if students have been taught like this, it may be useful
How to simplify fractions . . a lot of energy in this video, explanation could have been a little longer and the grooving a little shorter, but still, key point made!
Excellent, but very condensed, summary of how to, why and who uses it: STANDARD FORM.
Long Division from Mr. Duey. The explanation isn't 100% clear, I don't think, but the video is entertaining.
ALGEBRA
Solving equations with 'x' on one side of equals sign only. Some nice ideas and visuals mixed in with some less interesting sections, but generally useful.
Completing the square. It gets the key points across without too much excitement!
Professor DeSautoy (from 6m09 into video to 08m00) superbly illustrating Descartes revolution in converting geometry into algebra and why algebra perfectly describes geometric shapes.
GEOMETRY
Good overview/ revision of how to label the different, key parts of a circle: radius, diameter, minor arc, segment, and covers some of the circle theorems.
STATISTICS
One to watch right to the end . . . there is a very unexpected ending! Hans Rosling . . debunking myths that you have to be a particular character type to do a particular job!
MOTIVATIONALTourists in space, where could your generation of mathematicians take the human race?
EXEMPLARS
Obviously there are as many different tastes in music as there are people! But there are definitely some math songs on the internet whose street cred rating would be very low and which students are likely to be unimpressed and/or turned off by. Here are some that received a warm welcome from our students. Why not set them a homework to learn the words and say you will pick five students at random next lesson to sing it to the rest of the class (I allowed shyer students just to say the words if they wanted)!:
"Songs of Learning" is another good site if pupils are particularly keen on this style of music. They have lots more videos like this one available on their site (http://www.songsofhigherlearning.com/) and a few more on youtube also:
CLEAR, VISUAL EXPLANATION of "HOW TO DO" it.
This video isn't hugely entertaining, humorous or exciting, but it is very clear, with well chosen visuals and carefully thought out oral communication and presentation of the video. Can be inspiring in terms of students, after playing it a number of times, finally understanding how an equation can describe geometrical lines!
REVISION
Short, condensed videos that students can listen to in a spare minute or two (or less!) where ever they are, just before a test, during trip to school etc. just to keep the knowledge fresh and in mind. Learn the words to master the maths? Good résumés of the key information on a given topic:
I'm sure it only happens to me! but for some students the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle are simply confusing (What is Pi and what is that weird symbol !!!) and often used interchangeably, and hence, incorrectly:
This site is also worth a visit. You can subscribe, or content yourself with the free materials: http://www.studybeat.com/
HUMOUR
This category is probably a personal favourite. Again, there are as many different senses of humour as there are people, but some things suit a minority and others are funny almost regardless of your particular preferences. There's no claim that the below fits into this later category, but we hope they all bring at least a smile to your face!
The classic mixed numbers to improper fractions "Big Boss", Bruce Lee style!
Another classic of the very reasonable mistakes students can make when learning techniques without the underlying conceptual understandings:
IB MATHEMATICS Algebra and Number Sequences
Great video to show how if we can measure events in nature, thereby turning them into a sequence of numbers, analyse that number sequence and find the formulas that generate them, then we are on the road to predicting, controlling and being able to create pushing the current limits of human achievements and knowledge. Will we one day be able to create whole planets?
CONTENTS
NUMBER
Compound interest. Great example of it's power (provided bank doesn't go bankrupt!).
Prime numbers can often seem a totally pointless and abstract use (waste?) of time to some students. Here's DeSautoy (only need to show first 2m30) putting them into context and application to show how a once "pure" area of maths now has far reaching applications
Proportions: students struggle to understand that ratio, fractions, decimals, percentages are conceputally all about giving a measure to different proportions. Here's a nice little drawing starter to play and students have to draw at the same time as the video. Look around at your classmates, every face has a different proportion!
Drawing Proportions
FRACTIONS
Finding Fractions of amounts. I couldn't find a video that gave a clear enough visual and numerical explanation for this so I made this one. Hope it's useful and all feedback welcome please (dezottisoliver@hotmail.com)
Song and video that are top quality for dividing fractions. Learn the lyrics and you'll never go wrong again!
A song to remind how you to divide fractions, no video required, thanks to Gracious Njomo!
Multiplying by mixed numbers: again, I couldn't find a visual and numerical explanation of why it works in the one video so I made this video. Hope you like it, and again, all feedback welcome (dezottisoliver@hotmail.com)
Mutliplying by mixed numbers. Not a big fan of this video, but some of my students liked it and recommended it because they said it's very clear and sticks only to the essentials. A good one for quick revision?
.
Mr. Duey's seminal Add and subtract fractions video
A clear numerical explanation for how to add and subtract fractions, [I don't like this method because I think it really necessitates that students are happy with multiplying fractions (x2/2) to be able to add & subtract, the method is not based on students innate knowledge or intuition], but if students have been taught like this, it may be useful
How to simplify fractions . . a lot of energy in this video, explanation could have been a little longer and the grooving a little shorter, but still, key point made!
Excellent, but very condensed, summary of how to, why and who uses it: STANDARD FORM.
Long Division from Mr. Duey. The explanation isn't 100% clear, I don't think, but the video is entertaining.
ALGEBRA
Solving equations with 'x' on one side of equals sign only. Some nice ideas and visuals mixed in with some less interesting sections, but generally useful.
Completing the square. It gets the key points across without too much excitement!
Professor DeSautoy (from 6m09 into video to 08m00) superbly illustrating Descartes revolution in converting geometry into algebra and why algebra perfectly describes geometric shapes.
GEOMETRY
Good overview/ revision of how to label the different, key parts of a circle: radius, diameter, minor arc, segment, and covers some of the circle theorems.
The Area and circumference of circles formulas- don't get them the wrong way round (embedded link in "Exemplars" section)!
Another link to the exemplar video on labelling a circle, finding its circumference and its area
STATISTICS
One to watch right to the end . . . there is a very unexpected ending! Hans Rosling . . debunking myths that you have to be a particular character type to do a particular job!
MOTIVATIONALTourists in space, where could your generation of mathematicians take the human race?
EXEMPLARS
Obviously there are as many different tastes in music as there are people! But there are definitely some math songs on the internet whose street cred rating would be very low and which students are likely to be unimpressed and/or turned off by. Here are some that received a warm welcome from our students. Why not set them a homework to learn the words and say you will pick five students at random next lesson to sing it to the rest of the class (I allowed shyer students just to say the words if they wanted)!:
Mr. Duey, probably the best that's out there in this field with more available on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/MrDuey1)
and apparently from his website (www.mrduey.com).
"Songs of Learning" is another good site if pupils are particularly keen on this style of music. They have lots more videos like this one available on their site (http://www.songsofhigherlearning.com/) and a few more on youtube also:
CLEAR, VISUAL EXPLANATION of "HOW TO DO" it.
This video isn't hugely entertaining, humorous or exciting, but it is very clear, with well chosen visuals and carefully thought out oral communication and presentation of the video. Can be inspiring in terms of students, after playing it a number of times, finally understanding how an equation can describe geometrical lines!
REVISION
Short, condensed videos that students can listen to in a spare minute or two (or less!) where ever they are, just before a test, during trip to school etc. just to keep the knowledge fresh and in mind. Learn the words to master the maths? Good résumés of the key information on a given topic:
I'm sure it only happens to me! but for some students the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle are simply confusing (What is Pi and what is that weird symbol !!!) and often used interchangeably, and hence, incorrectly:
This site is also worth a visit. You can subscribe, or content yourself with the free materials: http://www.studybeat.com/
HUMOUR
This category is probably a personal favourite. Again, there are as many different senses of humour as there are people, but some things suit a minority and others are funny almost regardless of your particular preferences. There's no claim that the below fits into this later category, but we hope they all bring at least a smile to your face!
The classic mixed numbers to improper fractions "Big Boss", Bruce Lee style!
Another classic of the very reasonable mistakes students can make when learning techniques without the underlying conceptual understandings:
IB MATHEMATICS
Algebra and Number Sequences
Great video to show how if we can measure events in nature, thereby turning them into a sequence of numbers, analyse that number sequence and find the formulas that generate them, then we are on the road to predicting, controlling and being able to create pushing the current limits of human achievements and knowledge. Will we one day be able to create whole planets?